


Playing Cupid

by Starlithorizon



Series: Alchemy and Guitar Ties [22]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arthur is a good matchmaker, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-12
Packaged: 2017-12-07 08:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlithorizon/pseuds/Starlithorizon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur meets someone who would be brilliant for Douglas, and proceeds to be really, really helpful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friends Plot for Friends

**Author's Note:**

> A few people have asked for this, so they are entirely to blame.  
> It's all brilliant, though.

Arthur smiled cheerfully at his customer as she boarded the plane. Though the company now belonged to him, it was still his mum's plane. That didn't matter, though, as Anita Scribner, a shockingly wealthy woman of about Douglas's age, smiled at the steward/CEO.

"I see you offer a real touch of hospitality," she said with a raised eyebrow as he showed her to her seat. Arthur grinned.

"Yeah, I love being a steward. Please, let myself know of anything that yourself might find yourself requiring during the duration of the flight."

She chuckled softly and nodded, dismissing him gently. He went to his seat near the back of the plane, eagerly awaiting takeoff. They were flying the lady to and from Tokyo, where she was meeting with a fellow who wanted to open one of her restaurants there. They would have three days of downtime in the metropolis, and Arthur was looking forward to it. Everyone was, really, especially Douglas. What better place to eat sushi than Tokyo?

Douglas made the cabin address (Martin had lost a bet during the last flight), and Arthur chuckled at the first officer's obvious pandering to the lady. Arthur supposed she was pretty, if a bit sharp. Her hair was cut into a pristine bob, and it was very dark, with threads of grey running through it. Her suit was perfect, without even the tiniest bit of a wrinkle or crease. The thing that really piqued Arthur's interest, though, was the lack of wedding ring. She could be dating someone, but Arthur was hoping that she was single. She'd be perfect for Douglas.

Luckily for Douglas (and Ms Scribner), Arthur had three days to make them fall in love.

* * *

It wasn't long before the plane was in the air and making the long trek to Tokyo. Shortly after they reached cruising altitude, Arthur Shappey, CEO, got up to do his stewarding duties.

"Can myself offer yourself any refreshments at this time?"

She smiled up at him kindly.

"A Diet Coke, please?" she asked. He nodded enthusiastically and headed into the galley. He took this moment to step into the flight deck.

"Hello, chaps! Teas? Coffees?"

"Coffee for me, Arthur," Douglas said.

"Me too, love."

"Right-o, back in a tick. But first: Douglas, did you get to meet Ms Scribner before we left?"

Douglas raised an eyebrow, and Arthur was struck by the similarities between him and Ms Scribner. He beamed at the FO.

"Yes," Douglas offered cautiously.

"Brilliant! So, what did you think?" Arthur prompted, waiting patiently for him to wax rhapsodic about her, to say that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, to simply _gush_.

"About what?" Douglas asked mildly.

"About Ms Scribner!"

Martin was looking at his husband in open confusion, and Douglas was shrugging.

"I dunno, she seems nice. She's quite pretty, I suppose."

"Brilliant!"

With that, Arthur bowed out of the flight deck to give the woman in question her Diet Coke and to get started on the pilots' coffees.

* * *

Ms Scribner was generous enough to pay for their accommodation, which Arthur thought was incredibly brilliant of her. They'd arrived pretty late at night, so they all said goodbye in the hall and headed to their rooms, Arthur's hand wrapped warmly around Martin's.

The pair snuggled into bed, grinning at each other.

"What was that about earlier?" Martin asked.

"Well, you see, I wasn't quite expecting the bellboy to—"

"Not that," Martin said quickly. "In the flight deck. With Douglas."

"Oh!" Arthur exclaimed. "I just thought that he and Ms Scribner might go nicely together, and I wanted to see if he might like her."

Arthur then proceeded to tell Martin his Grand Scheme. Though Martin didn't say anything, Arthur knew he had the captain on his side.

 _Brilliant_.


	2. See the Sights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I'll do my best not to do that again, promise.

Arthur and his captainy husband woke bright and early. While they were both fairly early risers, it was impossible to attribute it to habit or choice. It was best to blame the loud and insistent knocking at their door.

Martin groaned and rolled out of bed, as he was closer to the door.

"What is it, Douglas?" Martin asked wearily once the insistent knocker was revealed. Arthur sat up and listened with sleepy interest.

"It's growing late in the morning," Douglas said. Arthur leaned forward and could see the faint smile on the first officer's face, as well as his casual clothes and walking shoes. It was strange that Douglas was excited to go sightseeing, especially in a place they'd been before, and especially well before even Arthur was ready.

"And?" Martin asked, cocking his head to the side.

"And her Lovely Ladyship has asked if you two might want to accompany us on a sightseeing tour around the city."

"Lovely...?"

"Ms Scribner. Get a move on, we're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Arthur watched Skip's shoulders tense and then drop as he let go of any arguments. No doubt he was reminded of Arthur's Grand Scheme.

"Yes, all right, we'll meet you in the lobby."

Douglas nodded, a quick goodbye, and left. Martin shut the door and treated his love to a very large and very loud yawn.

"You heard him," Martin said around another yawn. "Fifteen minutes."

* * *

Arthur had certainly seen Tokyo before, though it was different seeing it with Skip and Douglas (and Ms Scribner) than with his mum. His mum was a blend of impatient and indulgent when she went sightseeing with Arthur, and there was none of that with his crew and his customer. Really, they all followed Ms Scribner's whims, which Arthur was perfectly willing to do. To make things even more brilliant, neither had noticed as he and Skip walked behind the pair of them. They didn't hold hands like Skip and Arthur did, but they did appear to be flirting.

So far, so good.

They had a quick, light lunch before heading back out into the thriving city. Everything here was either giant or tiny, and _everything_ was flashy and colourful and bright.

Eventually, Arthur and Martin begged off, claiming tiredness and a desire to nap. They told Douglas they'd catch him at dinner before getting into the cab Arthur had hailed.

* * *

"So, your pilot and CEO are married?" Anita asked Douglas as they ambled through a shop selling tourist-y trinkets. "My, it is a real family business."

Douglas chuckled, low and deep.

"Arthur's mother started the company, as a matter of fact," Douglas explained, picking up a hair comb that he thought Hannah might like. He held the comb up, hoping for an opinion from Anita.

"It's lovely. For Arthur's mother?"

"Oh, Carolyn would hate a gift like this. Martin plans on buying her the most ridiculous thing he can find. This would be for my daughter, Hannah. If you were still a sixteen-year-old girl, would you appreciate such a souvenir?"

Anita took the comb, fingers brushing lightly against Douglas's. He would swear up and down, for as long as he lived that Douglas Richardson did not _blush_. He saved that for his continually-flustered captain.

"Yes, I think so," she said. She tilted her face up at Douglas and smiled, and once again, he did _not_ blush.

He bought the comb for Hannah, more pleased than he had any right to be that it had Anita's seal of approval.

They returned to the street, heading back to the hotel. Douglas had dinner with his captain and his boss—still a positively barmy idea—and Anita had dinner with an old friend in another part of town.

When they parted, she smiled fetchingly and he resisted every impulse so that he wouldn't kiss her.

What he _didn't_ know was that Arthur had sung his praises all during the flight there, and every second that he possibly could, being sure to sow the seeds in Ms Scribner's mind. He had only a couple more cards to play and he was certain that everything would be perfect. Arthur was absolutely certain.


	3. Only a Bit Auspicious

As Ms Scribner's day was full of official meetings and whatnot, the three members of MJN spent the day at the hotel. Martin and Douglas sprawled out on lounge chairs out by the pool while Arthur splashed about in the water, enjoying the blissfully lovely weather. No doubt it was drizzly and grey back home.

Martin always enjoyed afternoons spent like this, the sun warm on his skin like hands and Douglas being too lazy and pleased to say anything particularly sarcastic. Arthur was always a delight, and Martin would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the sight of his husband all dripping and grinning and shirtless.

"Arthur's trying to set me up with Anita, isn't he?" Douglas asked over the top of his novel, voice languorous and unable to hold anything bearing any semblance to accusatory. Martin flushed anyway.

"What makes you think that?" Martin asked, voice shaky and unable to keep from curling up incomfortably.

"He looks fit to burst any time I so much as look her way. He's never been one for subtlety."

Martin smiled to himself. Douglas was completely right.

"He thinks you two would be perfect together," Martin admitted.

"Ah, then it appears that he and I are on the same page. Well, reading the same _book_ , at least."

Though Arthur was his husband, the love of his life, the best thing he had ever known, he couldn't keep from chuckling softly at his co-pilot's remark.

"Are you helping him out with it?"

"What do you think?" Martin laughed. Douglas smiled at him.

"Then you two won't mind skipping dinner with me and the lovely Anita tonight, will you?"

They'd had plans to eat at one of the nicest restaurants in Tokyo, likely something elegant and posh and quiet in the way that nice restaurants were. Martin had been fairly excited, as he and Arthur didn't exactly allow themselves luxuries like that (though God knew they could afford it). But if Douglas was confident enough to have dinner alone with Ms Scribner, then he and Arthur certainly wouldn't want to impose.

"Not at all, but you'd owe me—I'll get the takeoff _and_ landing for the next three flights."

Douglas groaned, but turned fully to Martin, a small smile at the edges of his mouth. "Done."

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Arthur flustered as he slipped soft shirt over his shower- and sun-pinked skin. "I don't know if a plan can work if the planners don't _make_ it work, Skip."

Martin grinned as he buttoned his own shirt.

"This is Douglas we're talking about. If anyone can make _any_ plan work, it's him."

In order to prevent Arthur from doing something absurd like pretend to be a waiter, or try to get Douglas to wear a headset so he could feed the FO instructions, or sit at the next table whispering loudly and winking with his whole body, Martin came up with a brilliant plan of his own to act as a diversion.

"Are you positive? Cause we could—"

Arthur was silenced softly with a press of lips against lips.

"It will be _fine_ , love. Now, finish getting dressed. The Auspicious Pig and Whistle Old English Style Happy Pub waits for no man."

* * *

They took a cab, as the ridiculous pub was too far away to walk while they were this hungry. Despite Martin's quiet grumbling, Arthur rang Douglas.

"Douglas!" Arthur exclaimed, grinning. "Are you on your date with Ms Scribner yet? Brilliant! Just make sure to say that she looks awfully pretty when you meet her, and pull out her chair for her, and whatever you do, don't stick chopsticks in your mouth and pretend you're a walrus. Mum says it's revolting, and the girls from the Pony Club always get these funny looks, and Skip always tells me to stop, but he ends up laughing anyway."

There was a pause, and Martin was certain that Douglas was on the other end, barely containing his frustration and saying that he'd managed to successfully woo three different women, _thankyouverymuch_. Keeping them had been another matter entirely, but clearly they hadn't been right for him. Like Arthur, Martin hoped that Ms Scribner would be a good match for the first officer. He deserved it, insufferably smug foo, that he was.

Arthur imparted a few more words of nonsensical wisdom ("If she asks why you live with your mum, don't tell her that it's because you're friends, say that your mum loves with _you_. Oh, wait, you don't live with your mum. Well, in that case, she probably won't ask that question. But if she _does_ , then you'd really ought to set her straight and tell her that you don't, because she might get a funny look like the girls from the Pony Club.") before ringing off.

"Think he'll be able to manage now?" Martin asked, gently teasing. Arthur grinned.

"I sure hope so. Now, do you think they'll have any pineapple juice at the restaurant?"

"We'll find out."


	4. She Thinks He's Wonderful

Shortly after Arthur's exceedingly helpful advice (had he honestly thought that Douglas might pretend to be a walrus?), Anita walked into the hotel lobby. He was momentarily stuck with gratitude for this beautiful woman agreeing to going to dinner with him alone, and the fact that she had dressed up. One does not wear such a flattering, lovely dress for dinner with the whole (tiny) crew of an airdot. No, a dress like that is for dates.

"You look beautiful," Douglas said, injecting as much charm as he possibly could into his voice. Anita grinned.

"Thank you. Shall we?"

"Of course."

* * *

Douglas looked rather pleased with himself as they boarded the plane the next day. Checks checked and plans filed, Martin sat beside him in the flight deck and regarded his first officer curiously.

"How did your date go?" he finally asked as they awaited takeoff. Douglas smiled to himself, which really only served to provide Martin with ideas as to how it went.

"Oh, Martin, a gentleman never kisses and tells."

Martin laughed at that, but offered a congratulatory smile.

"So she kissed you?"

"Really, Martin, this idle gossip is hardly befitting two members of polite society such as ourselves."

Douglas sat smugly silent as they took off, and Martin knew it was only a matter of time before he got the story. After all, the flight between Tokyo and Fitton was a _very_ long flight.

Arthur came in soon enough with tea and coffee before he was even asked to fetch it. He was practically bouncing with his excitement, prompting Martin to take the mugs before it all ended up on the floor.

"How did your date go with Ms Scribner? Was it brilliant?"

Knowing that this was the best possible time to tell his fellow crew members about the night before, Douglas launched into a polite version of the story. He and Anita had gone to a high-end sushi restaurant, for which Douglas paid. They walked around a bit, arm-in-arm, and found a little ice cream shop. They continued walking, chatting easily over green tea and chocolate ice cream.

She kissed him in a park, the lights flashing fetchingly in her eyes over her face.

"And Arthur?"

"Yes, Douglas?" the younger man asked, smiling softly at the description of the FO's successful date.

"Please try to be as quiet as possible. I'd imagine that Anita is rather tired. She did, after all, have a _very_ long night."

Because Arthur was Arthur and seemed to only have selective understanding of innuendo, he flashed an innocent grin and stage whispered, "Right-o!"

Martin, being far less selective than his husband, was treated to a wink and a grin from his friend.

* * *

Anita and Douglas each had quite the track record, with six divorces between the two of them. They were nothing if not optimistic, though, and got married a little over a year after that first date. She was completely taken with Hannah, and Hannah quite liked Anita.

It was so nice having them over for dinner, usually just the two of them as Hannah still lived in Barrow with her mother. She adored Arthur, and thought Martin was charming, and she was positively head-over-heels for Douglas.

Douglas had thought that his marriage with Helena had been his favourite, but he was so blissfully wrong. Anita didn't take any nonsense from Douglas, but at the same time, she inspired nonsense. He hardly laughed more than he did when he was with her. There was no underlying fear or distance with him, and he could feel in his bones that this wouldn't be ruptured by tai chi as the previous marriage had been. They gave each other silly little gifts from their travels, tiny bits of sentiment that said _I miss you_.

Helena had been given to ignoring Douglas's blacker moods, but Anita faced them head on. On the rare occasions when it all grew to be too much, he occasionally snapped at her, and she snapped right back. She had the special and rare ability to bring him back into the sun.

She thought he was pretty damn wonderful, but she also knew that he was really just a man with an ego the size of Russia, self-destructive tendencies, and a heart of molten gold.

The one lesson that everyone came away with, though, was that Arthur was a _brilliant_ matchmaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy, happy endings forever!


End file.
